Eleanor over at You Lil Dickens nominated me for a Bubbly Blogger Award. It’s actually a Sunshine Blogger Award, but that is so bland. I don’t do awards. And I certainly don’t consider myself bubbly or sunshiny. Eleanor seems to have a bubbly personality, which is surprising given all the abuse she was subjected to growing up. Elenor is brilliant, and she came up with such intriguing questions that I couldn’t resist answering them. Some of my answers are long, drawn-out, and most likely controversial, but C’est la vie.
Elenor’s 11 Questions. My 11 answers:
1) Do you think free will exists? If yes, please explain why and the role it plays in the world.
Yes. I believe there is free will. Part of that comes from my upbringing as a Methodist. John Wesley was a staunch believer in free will, unlike Martin Luther and John Calvin before him. The two pompous theologians who believed everyone shared in their total depravity, and that no one had free will to choose or reject God and influence their salvation because God had already chosen the few for salvation and damned everyone else. It was quite convenient that they were smart enough to know they were among the elect. But their rejection of free will has to do with salvation and specifically Christian salvation.
The larger question of free will and determinism goes way back to early philosophy and moves forward to modern philosophy, psychology, ethics, and law. If we have free will, then we are responsible for our decisions and actions, and we can be rewarded and punished accordingly. On the other hand, if everything is determined, then we have no control over our decisions and actions. We should not be punished for our evil deeds because we are not free to choose otherwise, therefore, we are not responsible for committing evil.
The idea of Fate determining the outcomes of our lives is also very old. In Sophocles’s play, Oedipus Rex (c. 429 B.C.E.), Oedipus knows his fate, and he tries to change his fate, he ends up killing his father and marrying his mother anyway as fate had determined. But if all of life’s outcomes are predetermined by fate then what is the use of making sacrifices to the gods, praying to God, making plans, and having goals if whatever you do or don’t do will have the same outcome?
If we have free will, then we have moral responsibility for our actions, and we are ethically responsible for the consequences of exercising our free will. Two approaches to considering the ethics of morality are consequentialism and deontology. Consequentialism maintains the moral worth of an action is determined by the consequences of the action. Whereas, deontology looks at moral duties instead of consequences.
Immanuel Kant was the most prominent deontologist and developed several important features of deontological ethics including we have a duty not to hurt the innocent, and killing an innocent person is forbidden regardless of the consequences. Killing is morally wrong, even if the consequences of killing an innocent person benefit everyone.
In contrast, Utilitarianism, which falls under consequentialism, considers whether the action has the best outcome for everyone. Therefore, if killing an innocent person is seen as benefiting society as a whole, then it is morally right to kill an innocent person for the benefit of everyone.
Going back to theology, Fyodor Dostoyevsky has an excellent discussion of free will in “The Grand Inquisitor” found in “The Brothers Karamazov”. The Grand Inquisitor accuses Jesus, who he has jailed, of rejecting the temptations offered by Satin in order to preserve free will. And it’s that free will the Grand Inquisitor believes makes people so difficult to control. I remember having a discussion with a friend late one night and my friend said “If Jesus had come down from the cross, I would believe!” I told him that’s the point. If Jesus had come down from the cross, all of us would have no choice but to believe.
But Jesus didn’t come down off the cross. We have free will to believe or not. To choose or reject God. To choose to do good. To choose to do evil. To freely make all of the choices we make each day, good, bad or indifferent. We have free will to make choices that have consequences. We are held morally and legally responsible for our choices and the consequences of our actions because society, and the law, also believe we have free will.
Speaking of free will, the pTerodactyl killed a large carp tonight when I was out and the river. He didn’t eat it. He just left it on the shore and walked out into deeper water. That is the second time I have witnessed the pTer killing a large fish and not eating it. Did the pTer commit pescadocide of his own free will? Was the carp’s fate to be stabbed to death by a pTerodactyl? Is the pTer determined to kill all large fish because he can’t help it? Or is he simply an evil bird?
2) In your opinion, does weed, overall, have more of a positive or negative impact? In other words, does it do more harm than good or the other way around?
I have never smoked weed because I grew up with people who did. Many of them became heavy users. These people were (many are dead now) smart, talented people who couldn’t finish their degrees, who went from one menial job to another, had multiple broken relationships, were depressed because their lives didn’t amount to much, so they smoked more weed. Was their depressive, compulsive behavior solely from smoking weed? Probably not. They were probably drawn to weed because of various personality disorders, but I never saw weed as a positive influence in their lives. Light weed smokers don’t have the same issues, but I don’t see that weed does much good either way.
3) If you could live in any era which would it be and why?
This is difficult. There is really not a lot of desirable eras unless one’s a hopeless romantic. I will go with the Belle Époque. It was a period between the Napoleonic wars and World War I that was known for technological, scientific, and cultural innovations, prosperity, peace, and optimism.
4) What is your favorite quote of all time and why that one?
“Someone set up us the bomb!” It’s such a good bad translation from Japanese to English. It’s so ungrammatical and nonsensical, yet it makes perfect sense. I feel like someone among the powers that be always sets us up the bomb.
5) Pick one of the worst events in history. If it were possible to change or prevent it, would you? Why?
There are so many bad events in history, it’s really difficult to choose. I have to go with World War II. One would think that after the horrors of World War I, world leaders would learn to get along. But not the case. D.C. al Coda, and voilà World War II. One change that might have helped prevent WW II would have been to have a different attitude and policies toward Germany,. More responsible fiscal policies could have helped prevent the great depression. But then again, when genocidal leaders want to dominate the world and start an aggressive effort towards that end, there may not be many alternatives.
6) Should euthanasia be a legal option for all if the law was written with great care and consideration?
No. I think there is too much room for abuse. People will try and twist the laws to euthanize people based on age, race, medical conditions, political orientation, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. If euthanasia were legal, there are individuals who would euthanize people now for not being vaccinated for covid. Actually, lifesaving drugs, lifesaving procedures, and transplants are currently being withheld from people who aren’t vaccinated for covid.
A recent example is a woman in Colorado who needs a kidney transplant. She has a donor, but the hospital will not perform the transplant because she has not been vaccinated against covid. Her doctor advised against the covid vaccine because of her current condition. There is no medical reason whatsoever to require vaccinations prior to an organ transplant. The Colorado hospital is willing to let the woman die for purely political reasons. Fortunately, a hospital in Texas is offering to perform the transplant with no vaccination required.
The utilitarians would say she should die because her transplant does not benefit society as a whole. Legal euthanasia would make it easier for utilitarians to rid society of the old, the sick, the weak, and the politically incorrect who they see as burdens on society, and a threat to their power.
One can argue that utilitarians and politicians would never twist euthanasia laws to make them in their favor. However, Laws are becoming meaningless in this country as it is. Laws are intentionally misinterpreted, or simply ignored, so they can be used as weapons against political opponents and those who resist being ruled by arbitrary and capricious politicians and political appointees. Pretty much anyone who doesn’t agree with the current powers that be is labeled a “Domestic Terrorist.” Under pandemic rules, civil rights abuses are manifold, and it doesn’t matter to the people in power and their accomplices in the media that the civil rights abuses are illegal and unconstitutional. Legalizing euthanasia would be a Godsend to the powers that be.
7) Why does evil exist in the world?
The easy answer is to blame it on Adam and Eve, but it’s really so complex, and it goes back to the question of free will. The simplest answer is evil exists in the world because we have the free will to choose to do evil. People selectively choose to do both good or evil depending on the situation. While most people seem to choose to be mostly good based on social standards of morality, others choose to be mostly evil acting against moral standards and societal norms. But then there are all the complexities that go with the issue of free will, determinism, and genetic dispositions.
When you consider all the cruelty, pain, suffering, and injustice humans have subjected each other, animals, and nature to throughout history, the more pertinent question may be “How does goodness thrive in an evil world?” For everything non-human good and evil are simply survival (with a possible exception being the pTerodactyl). But humans are beyond simply surviving, therefore, they choose, with their own free will, to do evil.
8) What is your superpower (AKA Your Greatest Strength)?
Problem-solving through procrastination. I am very good at problem-solving, but the way I do most of my problem-solving is by turning things over in my mind and working out the details before I do anything to solve the problem. It’s the same for conceptual design, storyboards for video, scores for songs, photo projects. All of it is worked out in my head before I set myself into action to create a piece.
9) Who do you think is currently one of the most influential individuals in showbiz? Why?
I have no idea. I haven’t had a TV in 40 years and I rarely watch movies. Therefore, I really can’t say.
10) How do you like your eggs? Do you think your preference reflects your personality?
Overeasy. I’m generally pretty easygoing.
11) Are Myers-Briggs Personality Types all their cracked up to be?
It has been years since I even thought about Myers-Briggs Personality Types, let alone take the test. Therefore, I took a free Myers-Briggs Personality test to see what it had to say. The results are I’m an NTP. NTPs are philosophical innovators, fascinated by logical analysis, systems, and design. I think that is pretty accurate.
Off Center & Not Even 
What a thoughtful post, Tim. I especially enjoyed your super power. Resonates with me. Thank you for sharing. It was nice to get to know more about you.
Thanks, Jeff. It’s a good super power to have.
Welcome, Tim. Indeed, it is.
She encouraged you to dig deeper. Good on her, and you.
Thanks, Cindy.
#5 – Change history, it changes the world as we know it, for good and bad. Changing the bad doesn’t necessarily imply good would result or the bad will not be as bad.
#7 – For good to exist, evil needs to exist too. Cannot have one without the other.
#6 – Euthanasia … there is a modified version in Oregon, but requires asking for permission. So few have exercised this option, it’s like people are unaware of the statute (voter passed initiative) or the will to live is stronger. Maybe a combination.
#2 – Colorado was the first state to permit medicinal and recreational use of MJ. The benefits of medicinal use are strictly anecdotal. There is no legitimate scientific study that substantiates its curative effects. One also question its medicinal properties when many diseases and conditions that can be treated. The recreational use, separate can of worms. Moreover, it has not stopped illegal sources of MJ.
#10 – Sunny-side up, but will settle for overeasy (soft yolk) or scrambled (3-egg, makes for a great omelet).
#11 – Never heard of the test. More for entertainment than informational purposes.
Good anwers, David. I suppose good and bad are complementary, but does bad equal evil? The test used to be taken quite seriously. But I hadn’t heard of it in years.
I see further into your comments, the notion of pre-destiny was addressed. No one is pre-destined to be anything. Who and what we become is determined by the choices we make, what we choose to believe. Call it free will or some other name, if you wish. On the bigger things in life, you will have a measure of doubt. But, you have made a choice and have to live the decision. When Laurie, Andrea I formed the trust to buy North Ranch, then build a high-end, high tech horse barn, we had taken significant risk. The financial commitment is serious. The three of us had our individual doubts, “are we doing the right thing,” after we signed the contracts. Whatever the case, we chose to live with our decision. That is life, in a nutshell. Our daughters are close to reaching the point where the safety net will be gone. The hard part is teaching them to lay aside the angst as best they can. In our professional lives, it is much easier since we are relying on our training, our experience, and we have teammates (colleagues) to rely on.
In the digital era, I think we have too many moving parts. Too many things to consider. This is where more doubt is introduced by having “information.” This is the part I don’t like being a grown-up in this time, and I rather be the 10 year old where my only responsibility was making sure my homework was done, my bed was made up.
So much for pre-destiny and free will … 🙂
We make decisions and live with the consequences, but we also have to live with the consequences of other people’s decisions. That’s were the serious legal issues of free will and determinism kick in. The people who believe that everything is determined, also believe that people cannot be held responsible for the consequences of their decisions and actions, especially their own. We see this in the amount a brazen criminal activity that goes unpunished by normal standards of ethics, morality, crime and punishment.
This was a fascinating read, Timothy. Thank you for sharing part of you!
Thanks for reading it, Dale. Any thoughts of the pTerodactyl?
I have to say I was a tad perturbed that an animal would kill with no intention of eating. Then I wondered if the fish was left on the shore, was it meant as an offering to a mate? For later consumption? It does seem odd to err… Fish for sport.
That’s two big fish he killed and didn’t eat while I was watching. It’s weird.
The questions are brilliant and I’m genuinely impressed with all your wonderful answers! I found every one of them to be perfectly meaningful, profound and thought provoking. I can see why you liked these questions. You are such a deep thinker and clearly have a penchant for theology, philosophy and the big questions that keep mankind awake at wee hours, It was lovely to learn more about you. I share your answer regarding free will. “If all of life’s outcomes are predetermined by fate then what is the use of making sacrifices to the gods, praying to God, making plans, and having goals if whatever you do or don’t do will have the same outcome?” I’ve thought about this many times and this is what I could conclude too, although I believe some things are foreordained. That’s a religious way of putting the scientific fact that “You’ll excel at what your DNA combination suits you best.” If someone’s DNA combination is not the most compatible with artistic pursuits, for instance, they may never become artists. Not sufficient motor skills, creativity or whatever skill it is that they genetically lack. Similarly, they’d prove incompatible to many other activities which can be ruled out from what they will be and what’s left, would be the one that strikes their fancy and also the one they excel in. So it’s all foreordained is a religious way of putting “it’s all genetically determined at the time of your birth.” Ofcourse, there’s more to it than just the combination of genes. Just my personal belief though. It may or may not be of actual sense.
It’s very sad that they’d let politics meddle with a human’s life. I hope she gets her transplant.
I just took the personality test and I’M AN INTP TOO!! HIFI! It’s one of the rarest personality types in the world with just 2-5% of the test takers identifying as it.
Lovely pics and I love how you made use of the pterodactyl’s action to answer some of the questions.
Sorry this is awfully long! 🙈
Not long at all, Sam. You gave a really thoughtful and meaningful response, and I really appreciate it.
Thank you for your wonderful response, Sam. Rare birds we are. Isn’t that simply the coolest? That’s probably why we also have similar views on questions of free will and evil. I was going to mention genetics in determining the outcomes of our lives, but my answer to Eleanor’s question was already way too long. Yes, mental and physical faculties do play a huge role in what we can do and become, so in some sense we can say people are a fated to do or not to do certain things based on genetics, mental and physical disabilities. However, one would think a person born without arms would not be able to play guitar. And one could say the person was predetermined to never play the guitar. However, free will and a determined mind can be much stronger than predetermination implies. Check out this video: https://youtu.be/lGm96vFvmxk. The pTerodactyl is a bit of a puzzle.
Wow, that’s really inspiring! I’ve heard of similar people here who paint with their legs (for a living) and such. They really prove your point: free will and a determined mind can be much stronger than predetermination implies. That’s a powerful statement and is very true.
I think blaming everything on fate and predetermination is a cop out and way to not have to really think about, struggle with and try to work out the complex questions of free will, evil, why bad things happen to good people, why good things happen to bad people, why there is so much cruelty and injustice in the world? Simply saying it was their fate or their destiny is a simple minded answer to complex issues that have dogged philosophers and theologians for thousands of years, and now hound scientists, psychologists and lawmakers as well.
Tim, I copied this post to read again. I agree with all of your answers to such profound questions. Your mental sharpness is as acute as your photographer’s eye. Now the killing of the fish (not to eat) could be sport, evilness, or some sense of danger. Looking for food, but natural instinct kicked in. Could be the sense of smell detects a poison for that bird species. But, other animals not effected. It’s left for them. Probably that’s a stretch. The followers comments were enlightening too. I’m an Meyer Briggs INTJ – the architect. Introverted intuitive thinking, judging. Fits perfectly. I’m glad you answered the questions. You hit the mark for me. Thanks! 📚🎶 Christine
Thanks Christine. Another 1 to 2 percenter on Meyers Briggs. I’m happy we are in agreement, but I would be more surprised if we weren’t from little bit that I know of you from our exchanges. It’s interesting how out of the huge number of bloggers in the blogoshere, the few like minds find each other.
It’s a God send for me to find like minded people, like you, Tim. We are kind of connected through our love of music too. You are much more advanced on the guitar. But, I’ve progressed to play Coldplay songs, 3-5 chords, beginner style. In my soon to be published book, the main character has natural music ability (from her famous orchestral trumpet soloist grandfather) and she ends up playing guitar and singing in a band. How’s that for changing life’s pattern? At least in the mind. Not pre-determined destiny. 📚🎶 Christine
She’s “Just a singer (in a rock a roll band)!” Perfect. ColdPlay? Are you playing “The Scientist” and/or “Clocks”? We can learn to do most anything with if we work hard enough at it. Music is really challenging for me. But I love it so I plug along. When is your book coming out?
Yep! She’s a fast learner and makes a name for herself. 🤣 Yes, I play “The Scientist,” “Fix You” and “A Sky Full of Stars.” The Weeknd, “Save Your Tears,” and Credence Clearwater, “ Have You Eve Seen the Rain.” Concentrating on those to increase skill. Takes persistence & a ton of practice. 📚
Thanks for asking, Tim. Planning for an early 2022 book launch. Working with an awesome editor on the final editing. Cover designed, and formatter waiting for the final product. It’s exciting to be this far in my new writing career. 📚🎶
That’s really exciting. I’m looking forward to the launch. Good repertoire of songs your are working on.
Thanks, Tim. Coldplay songs are the best. In the book, I feature 50s songs that the main character (a nurse) plays, and some of the romantic ones that she and her guitar teacher play and sing together in the band. It causes some controversy with her doctor boyfriend. The strong second story theme. Having fun reminiscing about my time back in the 50s. I was in high school, nursing school, then an RN. And my guitar was ironically named, Destiny. 🙄🎶🤔
I absolutely enjoyed your report about you, free will and the world, Timothy and especially loved the following sentence: “If Jesus had come down from the cross, I would believe!” I told him that’s the point. If Jesus had come down from the cross, all of us would have no choice but to believe.”
Concerning the behaviour of the bird, I ask myself, whether they have copied the human being and its behaviour!
Many thanks:)
Thanks, Martina. I so happy you enjoyed my long winded answers. So many people have to have a reason to have faith. You have a wonderful insight on the Heron copying people. It is certainly been exposed to many people fishing in the river.
:):)
What a refreshing and tremendous post Timothy. I mean that. It was a pleasure to read especially given the ‘woke’ world the world…period…we live in today.
Thanks, Shey. I’m happy you enjoyed reading my long broken winded responses to Eleanor’s wonderful questions.
They were not broken or long. They were excellent
Ah… that was a great interview, my friend I loved reading! I think though you have many many more super powers and I say that in admiration!
ps great photos!!!
Thanks, Marina. I am really happy you enjoyed this post. I would love to have super powers, and I’m and humbled to think that you, a true superwoman, could give me such a wonderful compliment.
All true and spoken from my heart.
Beautiful photos of the Sandhill Cranes. Some should be arriving back in our area soon. I always look forward to seeing and hearing them. Thanks for sharing your answers and for the heron comparison. Nature has so much to teach us if we have eyes to see.
Thanks, Rebecca.
Love your answers! A lot of your words are resonated with me.
Thanks, Victoria. I’m happy you liked my answers. I can see that we are on the same wavelengths on many issues.
Yes, we are on the same page, that’s true!
I just sent you an email. It has an attachment so it might get caught up in spam.
Thank you! I actually liked it very much!
I thought you might enjoy it.
It’s delightful to learn more about your convictions and reasonings. Why you don’t want to be a Bubbly blogger is baffling. Ah well, free will right!
Thanks, Holly. If there was actually a Bubbly Blogger Award, I might just accept it to be contrary. That pesky free will.
Haha! I’m sure you’ll do the right thing. 🤗
The Grand Inquisitor section of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov was extraordinary!!! A brilliant post, Tim. One that I will be thinking of in the next week. Many thanks!
Thanks, Rebecca.
The pTerodactyl must be one of the hardest of birds to get a good shot of, bearing in mind the background. But, you’ve done it again and impressed me.
Thanks, Inchcock.
Oh c’mon. You’re kind of sunshiny.
There is lots of sunshine out here, but I wear all black all the time, and simply absorb it like a black hole. Thanks, needham.
I like the color black.
Found myself strongly aligned as a whole on those responses, although I always recommend caution when trying to place human morality on the animal kingdom. On the book front, grew up having to read Dostoyevsky in my various lit classes – tough reads, but forced you to understand your own internal positions/understandings/perspectives in order to truly grasp what his characterizations were trying to communicate. Still remember reading pages of Crime and Punishment multiple times because I kept overlaying my tangential biases. Great things to think about .. on a long run… really long runs ha!
Thanks for the wonderful response. Anthropomorphizing animals and giving them morals is fun, but anyone who has dealt with wild animals knows they are anything but human when it comes to morality. Dostoevsky is one of my all time favorite authors. All his characters were family or from people he read about in the newspapers. He had a fascinating life. Ethics, morality and 42 are excellent things to ponder while on a long run.
This is a great post, hilarious but also containing some pretty awesome ideas and arguments. Immediately knew I’d enjoy this when I read: “I certainly don’t consider myself bubbly or sunshiny.” Then a discussion which would have been fun to have listened in upon was your mentioning of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his discussion of free will, and then the later discussion with your friend. Yes, yes. Final piece I also found enlightening, problem solving through procrastination – I love this, as this is how I manage. I tell everyone the decisions I make are not so much decisions, as it is the logical solution to the problem as time/experience remove all other options. In a sense, it is just waiting out the issue until it resolves itself “naturally” 🙂 Cheers to a great finish to the weekend.
Thanks for the wonderful response, Randall. I can imagine you are a master problem solver through procrastination with all the travel you do. I found the key to successful travel is flexibility and working things out as they come along. There was to be a certain amount of planning and scheduling, but the rest needs be adventure as int comes and goes. It’s kind of sad that it’s really hard to have those kinds of discussions today with everyone so divided.
Randall, nice to see you and read your comment aligned with Tim’s thinking. 📚🎶 Christine
It was really funny to read about Tim’s thinking and how much we were aligned… some really well thought out and written answers, I enjoyed the post quite a bit.
I enjoyed it too. Looks as if we three are aligned with the thinking. Nice to know you are too. It’s sometimes hard to find like-minded people. 📚🎶
I really like your perspective in your answers here. Especially #1 (and that pTerodactyl example), 2, 3, 6, 7, ok, I guess basically all of them. Interesting questions.
Thanks, JYP. Eleanor really had some great questions that were worth taking the time to answer.
These are beautiful photos and I enjoyed your answers, Tim.
Thanks, Lavinia.
I am not good when it comes to expressing my thoughts in words. And I am really amazed by all the skilled writers. Especially here on wordpress. I really appreciate your writing. Such a sophisticated writing. Your knowledge reflects from your writing. I am really amazed.
You express yourself very well. It’s really a matter of practice, like anything else. Thanks, Samruddhi.
” pTerodactyl killed a large carp tonight ” if that isn’t free will, i don’t know what is. Nice Timoty!💖👏👏👏
It’s that fact that he didn’t eat it, simply killed it and left it behind, is where the question of pTerodactyl free will comes in. Thanks, Cindy.
🤷♀️exactly! 💕😂👀
This was a joy to read. The fact that I don’t believe such thing as “free will” exists doesn’t prevent me from finding your thoughts pretty intriguing. It also doesn’t mean I wouldn’t defend my “freedom of choice” to the death.
One thing shocked me though. The one about the woman in Colorado and the hospital’s refusal to perform the kidney transplant because she has not been vaccinated against covid.
I mean. this can’t be happening. Not in this crap hole where I live, not in the United States Of America…
Thanks, Socratis. The question of Free will will never be solved, but we will always have freedom of choice. Like I mentioned to a coworker this morning, as much as the government tries to control our thoughts and actions, unless they start giving everyone lobotomies to get them in line, there will always be dissenters who will exercise their free will or freedom of choice. I always thing of DEVO when talking about freedom of choice.
The case of the woman in Colorado is true, and I have read about other people who have died because they were refused treatment or drugs because they were not vaccinated.
The Feds, some states, and some cities are threatening to fire the unvaxed. Policemen, firemen, healthcare workers and garbage collectors have be striking in some of those cities over the vax mandates. No Jab No Job!
An interesting read. I have always wondered why Oedipus, having been told he would marry his mother, did not ask a few more questions before marrying someone old enough to be his mother. You made me smile with the problem-solving through procrastination superpower. I share the tendency but am more likely to reproach myself for it.
I started the day thinking about blame, justice and fairness and many of these ideas fit in well. Blame is not always helpful, yet we seem to cling to it, perhaps because we are constantly made to feel guilty and find some release in getting cross with others. (I do not rule myself out from this.) I also wish so many issues had not become politically polarised. I am happy to have the vaccine. As one of the first older ladies to have it here said ‘It might not work, but it’s worth a chance.’
Fate is powerful and blinding. Politicizing everything really sucks. But the politicos have a vested interest in keeping people divided. If you are not one to react to medications, the RNA vax is probably not going have super bad side effects, but if you do react, tend to be allergic or have serious health issues the side effects can be series and a lot of people have died from the vaccines. It is a bit of a crap shoot.
First. Thank you for being such a good sport.
OKAY. WOW. DAMN. This warrants a good damn. What astir I caused with these. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. Having a Philosophical conversation has become a pastime and of course, I loved it so much I majored in it, and I must say you have the mind for it. Even that is an understatement.
Your answers are impeccable. Truly. I am intrigued and provoked. A state in which I have become accustomed to…
I am surprised! Especially with No. 6. This was the topic of my writing sample for Philosophy Ph.D. programs. I have a recording of me in a formal debate on euthanasia with a professor at the College of Liberal Arts symposium that I’m sure you’d have a field day with. I know I need to write a post about this. I certainly have the material. I argued in FAVOR of euthansia. Of course, delivering in true Eleanor Lorene Lowe style — passionately! I believe this is the proverbial can of worms that I’m opening. I am finding out, I have a knack for it 😉
We will have to have a wrestling match over euthanasia. I can imagine you are a tough one to debate, and I’m sure you have good points in your arguments.
The Meyers Briggs thing took me by surprise. It seems so old fashion and corporate. Laurie was given an online program to try that has exercises for the language arts classes she’s teaching. The program had an exercise on Meyers Briggs. When her students looked up Meyers Briggs, they said it seemed old-fashioned. But public education is based on the old corporate industrial model, so it’s not surprising Meyers Briggs would be used as an exercise for middle school language arts. One of the problems with the ineffectiveness of public education is it’s stuck in the 19th and 20th centuries, and simply try to retrofit modern technology to a very old model. Public education is another controversial topic that is rip for a wrestling match.
Thank you for your great comments. I apologize for not checking spam when you mentioned your comments dissapeared.
My my, you were right. I caused quite a stir with these, didn’t I? Thank you for being such a good sport about it and taking the time to respond with great detail. You have a deep philosophical mind and I enjoy the hell out of seeing how your mind works.
No. 1 Free will: Damn, I haven’t heard that good of an argument for free will in years. Took me back. I completely agree with you, by the way. Your examples and sources are fantastic! Very Socratic of you, concluding on an inquisitive supposition. BRAVO
You never fail to surprise me, Timothy. Hands down, the stand out is No. 6. Euthanasia. You’d have a field day with a certain recording of me at my universities’ annual College of Liberal Arts Symposium. I argued as a proponent for euthanasia against a professor. It was rather controversial. Consequently, this was the topic of my writing sample for Philosophy Ph.D programs. I need to do a post on it, I certainly have plenty of material. I know, I’m opening the proverbial can of worms here but there is so much to unpack here. I’ll say this, we don’t line up on this one, my friend.
On the other hand, I wish to all that is holy that I had your argument for No. 7 a few years ago. Lecturing on the Logical Problem of Evil is a challenge, especially in good ole Oklahoma. You sum it up so well.
Even though I haven’t met you in person I can totally see how on No. 8 you say problem-solving is your superpower. I sure do get a kick out of seeing how your mind works.
No. 10 is hilarious to me. We have the same answer but different explanations for them. Overeasy. Yes. Has nothing to do with me being “easygoing” BAHAHAHA They say how someone likes their eggs is indicative of an individual’s personality type. I see it in you. As for me, I suppose it’s because the precarious nature of achieving an overeasy egg. Like, dude, don’t break the yoke. You’re gonna ruin it. Ugh Hahahaha
Admittedly, I have not had the pleasure of conversing with many NTPs. Rare people, we are. (My best Yoda) 😉 I am an ENFJ: The Giver, Protagonist, or Compassionate Facilitator. Apparently, very rare ranking, 2.2% of the population.
So, obviously, we need to address No. 6 because mmmm, I think there’s an epic conversation right there, sir. You game?
Thanks for your great responses, Eleanor. I checked my spam and there were 72 spam comments. It’s a good thing I’ve learned to check all spammed comments because that is where your comments disappeared to. Damn WordPress. I think it does that to get back at me for trying to get them to quit being stupid.
Goodness! The spam thing has happened to me before too. It was an unpleasant surprise to me as well. Glad you figured it out though. LOL “to quit being stupid.”
Or “Stop making sense!” Do you remember that one from Talking Heads? Which reminds me, have you seen David Byrne’s “True Stories” released in 1986.
HA! Oh, yeah! Yes, I have!
I love that movie. Makes good weird commentary on so many cultural norms.